Sacrifice
by starlily11
Summary: When Bishop opens a black hole, they all know that one must die. Who will be lost?


Sacrifice

Disclaimer: I do NOT own TMNT, but I really wish I did, so if you own it, would you mind sharing with me?

Michelangelo gazed steadily, dry-eyed, at the glowing hole of darkness before him. He would die today, he knew. Part of him wanted to stay and live, but a much greater part of him had no other desire but to spare his brothers and father this fate, and if it meant that he would have to die, so be it. He was the natural choice.

Leonardo did not deserve to die; he was too noble, their leader. He'd already been through so much. Michelangelo would not allow him to suffer through this as well. Leonardo had made many sacrifices for them; Michelangelo was going to return the favor.

Raphael may have been a hothead, but he hardly deserved this death either. For all his tough-guy talk, he was really golden within. Their family would need his fire and passion. It would keep them fighting.

Donatello was an outright no. He was the gentle one, as well as the research man… er, turtle. Donatello was needed a great deal more than he would ever know. He had done so much for them; Michelangelo was sacrificing himself to save him and hopefully repay him.

Master Splinter was out of the question. He was their sensei, as well as their father. They all loved him. They needed him, and their family would need him still, to guide them.

But what was he? He, Michelangelo, was not any of them. He was the oddball, the goofy one. Where did he fit? Nowhere. He was the logical choice if anyone had to die. He was not needed like his brothers and father. He was an extra. Why should any of his brothers die? Why should Master Splinter die?

As the youngest turtle prepared to make the fatal jump, the one that would end his life, he took a moment to recall exactly what had gotten them into this dreadful, awful mess.

Flashback

"WHOO-HOO!!" Mikey shouted as he flew around the lair on his skateboard. Everyone else groaned. Don retreated to his lab, Leo to the dojo, Raph topside. Mikey continued to speed around the lair, happy as could be.

Suddenly, April came running in. Mikey, seeing the fearful look on her face, landed, concerned.

"April, are you all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Mikey," she responded with a brief smile. "But nobody will be fine for long."

"What happened?"

"Apparently, Bishop opened a black hole. It'll suck the whole planet into it if it isn't stopped."

"How do we stop it?"

"From what I overheard, one of you has to jump into it."

"But that would mean…"

"Yes, exactly. Bishop must have programmed it somehow, knowing that one of you would take the bullet. He wants to kill all of you, but he can only kill one, but in a way, if one of you jumps, he'll still win."

"I volunteer."

Horror filling his heart, Mikey turned to face Leo, his oldest brother.

"No, I'm going." Don stepped out of the shadows.

"No way! I'm goin' an' that's final!!" Raphael pushed his way around Leonardo. Mikey opened his mouth to volunteer, but no sound came out. He couldn't find his voice.

Leonardo's voice cut through his thoughts. "I'm going, guys. I'm the oldest. I'm the leader. I'm the one who's going to die."

"No, my son. I will go." Master Splinter had entered, having heard every word.

The 'no' the followed was unanimous.

"I'm going, Sensei. I've had it come for awhile. We need you."

"But we need you, too, Leo!" Mikey burst out.

Leo continued on as though he hadn't heard Michelangelo. "How much time do we have, April?"

"From what I've heard, about a day."

"I'll be there at dawn." April looked pained.

Mikey began his plan.

S.S.S

That night, Mikey wrote his farewell message. He would not allow his oldest brother to die.

He wrote-

Hey, guys. I'll be long gone by the time you read this. Leo is not gonna die. I am. I would die for any of you. I hope you understand why I'm doing this. I can't let any of you die. You're all too important. I'm not. I'm just the oddball.

Leo, don't beat yourself up over this. You do that too much. You don't need to be perfect. You just need to be our brother.

Don, don't hide out in your lab. We've always needed your level head, and we always will.

Raph, don't go out and get yourself killed, 'kay? You're the fire and passion of our team. Without you, we'd have been lost for lack of passion. Without passion, we'd all be lifeless, without any intense emotions, or any of those little moments in life that make it worth waking up each day.

Master Splinter, well, I love ya, dad. Don't go beating yourself up; no one could've stopped me. We've always needed your wisdom and guidance. You taught us everything we know. You still have more to teach us; I just won't be around to learn it. I wish I could be, but I can't.

Guys, I love you all.

-Michelangelo (Mikey)

S.S.S

Leonardo sheathed his katanas and prepared to leave and face his doom. He silently checked on his brothers, knowing that this was the last time he would see them. However, when he reached Mikey's room, his youngest brother wasn't there. In fact, Mikey's bed had obviously not been slept in. Leonardo ran to Don's room and shook him awake.

"Don, wake up! Mikey's gone!"

The brainy turtle's eyes flew open, and they roused the sleeping Raphael from his slumber.

Raph groaned and grunted "Whassa matter?"

"Mikey's missing!"

"What the shell?!"

"Come on!"

S.S.S

Meanwhile, despite their efforts to be quiet, the commotion still awakened Master Splinter. He heard his sons moving around and snatches of whispered conversation such as, "Where the shell is he?" or "We don't know, but we'll find out," and even, "Can't believe he'd disappear on us like that." The old rat waited and listened.

S.S.S

The three turtles raced for the door to the lair, and almost missed the sight of a white sheet of paper… with Mikey's handwriting on it. Leonardo grabbed it, showing it to his brothers.

Together, they read it. Panic consumed them, and they went tearing out of the lair as though the Shredder, Bishop, Federation fleets, and Triceraton fleets combined were after them. Their sensei followed.

End Flashback

Michelangelo stood on the rock from which he planned to jump. His head held high, he took a single step, glanced back in farewell, and, taking a deep breath, he made the fatal jump.

As soon as his body entered the black hole that was to be his destruction, pain roared through him. Michelangelo writhed in agony, but he was grateful that his brothers and father were safe, and that none of them would have to suffer through this.

Mikey's life flashed before his eyes. He saw Leo's face, determined and fiercely loyal. Don's face filled his mind, his gentleness and intelligence glowing within him and ever present on his face. Raph's fiery, passion-filled eyes spoke to him as his life force was drained away. Lastly, Master Splinter emerged in his thoughts, silently urging him to endure. It was almost over. With his last breath, Michelangelo whispered, "Goodbye."

S.S.S

When Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Master Splinter arrived, the sight before them caused their hearts to go cold and words to run dry. Mikey had already jumped, and was now writhing in agony above them.

Master Splinter shouted, "Michelangelo, NO!"

The other three heard, and in normal circumstances would have been surprised and known that they would be in hot water, but currently, they were too frozen by horror and stunned by grief to react.

Slowly, the black hole closed, and Mikey's limp form fell from the sky above them, landing with a dull thud on the ground. A roar of raw, uncontained grief and anguish split the quiet of the dawn. All turned to look at Raphael, who had fallen to his knees, tears spilling from his eyes. At the same time, everyone else had screamed, "MIKEY!!" or "MICHELANGELO!!"

Leonardo was sprinting to the place where his youngest brother lay. He gathered Mikey's inert form into his arms, tears breaking free at long last. The others soon joined him.

Raphael threw himself over Michelangelo's cold, lifeless form and shouted to the heavens, tears pouring down his cheeks, "Mikey! Mikey, come back. God, please, bring him back! He's too young! He didn't deserve this! If you let him come back, I'll try to be better! Just please, bring him back!" and then, he moaned, "Oh, Mikey, _why_?" The hotheaded turtle broke down sobbing, his head falling to rest on his baby brother's plastron.

Master Splinter knelt next to Raphael, staring down at his youngest son's dead body, silently praying that somehow, someway, his youngest, his vibrant, lively son would be given back to him.

Donatello knelt beside Leonardo, his mind unable to register what he was seeing, and what had just occurred. This couldn't be happening. Mikey _couldn't_ be… he couldn't be… _dead_! Yet, here was the evidence. The facts were irrefutable. Yet, still, he couldn't believe it; he didn't _want_ to believe it. The scientifically minded turtle bowed his head, unable to look anymore. Tears blurred his vision, and he broke down, his moans of denial pitiful to hear.

Leonardo still cradled Mikey in his arms, tears flowing freely now. "It's all my fault," he whispered. "I should've woken up sooner. I should've been here. I should've…"

"No, my son. It is not your fault. Michelangelo chose to give his life to save yours. Do not let his sacrifice be in vain."

In response to his father's statement, Leonardo started genuinely crying. His body heaved with the force of his sobs.

Suddenly, Mikey's eyes opened, and he whispered, "Hey, Leo, don't cry." He raised a hand and dried his oldest brother's tears.

Leonardo glanced down. Mikey smiled tiredly. Although he was alive, he was still exhausted. He hadn't slept all night, and jumping into a black hole to certain death can really sap one's energy. He moved his hand to Raphael's head, murmuring, "Raphie, shh… I'm all right." Raphael's tears ceased almost immediately, and in response, hugged Mikey, refusing to let go.

Donatello was stroking Mikey's forehead when he felt a hand take his. He looked down. Mikey was holding it, and his face was gentle, loving, and exhausted.

Mikey," Don murmured. "But… but how?"

Master Splinter, sounding somewhat thoughtful, spoke. "I'd forgotten until now. In rare cases, those with innocent souls who sacrifice willingly can survive a hole of darkness such as what Michelangelo jumped into. It is nothing short of a miracle."

"It sure is," whispered Leonardo with a smile. Together, sensei and ninjas returned home, exhausted. They took a break from training and battles that day, and slept.

S.S.S

Early the next morning, Master Splinter left his room to make some tea. In the living room, the sight he saw brought a smile to his face.

His sons lay piled up on the floor, snuggled together the way they hadn't since they were eight. Michelangelo lay asleep, Leonardo next to him, the eldest turtle's arm cushioning the youngest turtle's head. Raphael's head rested on Michelangelo's plastron, and Donatello's plastron was currently serving as a pillow for Leonardo. The genius turtle's hand rested on Michelangelo's shoulder.

"Ah, my sons," whispered the old rat, "Brotherly bonds never die, no matter how many fights or how large the argument. May you always know and remember that."


End file.
